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Best states for a lead residential counselor
Quoted expert
Christine Suniti Bhat
- Rank 1 - 10
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- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for lead residential counselors? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for lead residential counselor jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.As lead residential counselors are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for lead residential counselors. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a lead residential counselor, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
In order to get you the best states for lead residential counselors, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that Michigan is the best state for lead residential counselor jobs, whereas North Carolina is the worst.
10 best states for lead residential counselors in 2026
1. Michigan
Total lead residential counselor jobs: 1,136 Average annual salary: $43,221 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Location Quotient: 1.99
2. Massachusetts
Total lead residential counselor jobs: 1,264 Average annual salary: $45,258 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Location Quotient: 1.87
3. Rhode Island
Total lead residential counselor jobs: 205 Average annual salary: $41,186 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 2.29
4. Pennsylvania
Total lead residential counselor jobs: 2,147 Average annual salary: $40,001 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Location Quotient: 2.51
5. Arizona
Total lead residential counselor jobs: 337 Average annual salary: $42,770 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
6. Missouri
Total lead residential counselor jobs: 763 Average annual salary: $41,668 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Location Quotient: 1.77
7. South Dakota
Total lead residential counselor jobs: 130 Average annual salary: $40,782 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Location Quotient: 1.65
8. Washington
Total lead residential counselor jobs: 325 Average annual salary: $44,249 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Location Quotient: 0.6
9. California
Total lead residential counselor jobs: 1,313 Average annual salary: $46,031 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location Quotient: 0.61
10. Ohio
Total lead residential counselor jobs: 1,510 Average annual salary: $38,630 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Location Quotient: 2.01
Lead residential counselor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a lead residential counselor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a lead residential counselor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | $43,221 | $32,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,136 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $45,258 | $34,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,264 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $41,186 | $31,000 | 1,059,639 | 205 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $40,001 | $29,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,147 |
| 5 | Arizona | $42,770 | $32,000 | 7,016,270 | 337 |
| 6 | Missouri | $41,668 | $32,000 | 6,113,532 | 763 |
| 7 | South Dakota | $40,782 | $31,000 | 869,666 | 130 |
| 8 | Washington | $44,249 | $33,000 | 7,405,743 | 325 |
| 9 | California | $46,031 | $34,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,313 |
| 10 | Ohio | $38,630 | $29,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,510 |
| 11 | Colorado | $42,881 | $33,000 | 5,607,154 | 301 |
| 12 | Maryland | $44,027 | $33,000 | 6,052,177 | 297 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $39,713 | $30,000 | 3,930,864 | 359 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $41,033 | $31,000 | 755,393 | 37 |
| 15 | New York | $42,157 | $31,000 | 19,849,399 | 771 |
| 16 | Kansas | $39,310 | $30,000 | 2,913,123 | 344 |
| 17 | Oregon | $42,390 | $32,000 | 4,142,776 | 163 |
| 18 | Illinois | $41,682 | $31,000 | 12,802,023 | 447 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $42,468 | $31,000 | 693,972 | 91 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $37,081 | $28,000 | 4,454,189 | 514 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $37,148 | $28,000 | 1,342,795 | 296 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $39,672 | $29,000 | 3,588,184 | 280 |
| 23 | Alaska | $36,334 | $30,000 | 739,795 | 143 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $36,488 | $28,000 | 1,920,076 | 250 |
| 25 | Nevada | $35,020 | $26,000 | 2,998,039 | 339 |
| 26 | Texas | $39,234 | $29,000 | 28,304,596 | 640 |
| 27 | Vermont | $39,034 | $30,000 | 623,657 | 27 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $37,445 | $28,000 | 1,815,857 | 54 |
| 29 | Utah | $33,974 | $25,000 | 3,101,833 | 555 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $32,584 | $25,000 | 579,315 | 113 |
| 31 | Indiana | $37,861 | $29,000 | 6,666,818 | 187 |
| 32 | Montana | $33,193 | $25,000 | 1,050,493 | 193 |
| 33 | Idaho | $33,190 | $25,000 | 1,716,943 | 245 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $35,054 | $28,000 | 1,427,538 | 131 |
| 35 | Iowa | $35,360 | $27,000 | 3,145,711 | 136 |
| 36 | Alabama | $34,576 | $26,000 | 4,874,747 | 163 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $30,731 | $23,000 | 6,715,984 | 893 |
| 38 | Delaware | $34,226 | $25,000 | 961,939 | 67 |
| 39 | New Jersey | $35,514 | $26,000 | 9,005,644 | 381 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $33,914 | $26,000 | 5,576,606 | 266 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $31,368 | $23,000 | 2,088,070 | 251 |
| 42 | Maine | $32,648 | $25,000 | 1,335,907 | 65 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $33,367 | $25,000 | 5,795,483 | 171 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $29,531 | $22,000 | 3,004,279 | 349 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $29,487 | $22,000 | 4,684,333 | 157 |
| 46 | Florida | $28,915 | $21,000 | 20,984,400 | 896 |
| 47 | Virginia | $31,059 | $23,000 | 8,470,020 | 368 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $30,335 | $23,000 | 2,984,100 | 62 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $28,506 | $21,000 | 5,024,369 | 193 |
| 50 | Georgia | $28,936 | $22,000 | 10,429,379 | 407 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $29,031 | $22,000 | 10,273,419 | 292 |
Highest paying states for lead residential counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. Lead Residential Counselor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | $43,221 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $45,258 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $41,186 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $40,001 |
| 5 | Arizona | $42,770 |
| 6 | Missouri | $41,668 |
| 7 | South Dakota | $40,782 |
| 8 | Washington | $44,249 |
| 9 | California | $46,031 |
| 10 | Ohio | $38,630 |
| 11 | Colorado | $42,881 |
| 12 | Maryland | $44,027 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $39,713 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $41,033 |
| 15 | New York | $42,157 |
| 16 | Kansas | $39,310 |
| 17 | Oregon | $42,390 |
| 18 | Illinois | $41,682 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $42,468 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $37,081 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $37,148 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $39,672 |
| 23 | Alaska | $36,334 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $36,488 |
| 25 | Nevada | $35,020 |
| 26 | Texas | $39,234 |
| 27 | Vermont | $39,034 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $37,445 |
| 29 | Utah | $33,974 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $32,584 |
| 31 | Indiana | $37,861 |
| 32 | Montana | $33,193 |
| 33 | Idaho | $33,190 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $35,054 |
| 35 | Iowa | $35,360 |
| 36 | Alabama | $34,576 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $30,731 |
| 38 | Delaware | $34,226 |
| 39 | New Jersey | $35,514 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $33,914 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $31,368 |
| 42 | Maine | $32,648 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $33,367 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $29,531 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $29,487 |
| 46 | Florida | $28,915 |
| 47 | Virginia | $31,059 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $30,335 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $28,506 |
| 50 | Georgia | $28,936 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $29,031 |
Expert opinions on the best states for lead residential counselors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for lead residential counselors to find work opportunities?
Christine Suniti Bhat
Counseling and Higher Education, Ohio University
Regions and states experiencing a growth in population would be the places for graduates to find work opportunities in the field upon graduation. In the past year, for example, I noticed that there were several job openings in Nashville, Tennessee. In prior years, there seemed to be many opportunities for our graduates in North Carolina.
If students are not restricted geographically, there will continue to be opportunities for them in the country as well as internationally. Further, graduates of school counseling programs should be aware of related jobs that they may be well-suited for, including positions such as Academic Advisor, Academic Counselor, Admissions Counselor, and Career Counselor at universities.
Lead residential counselor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025